LRE
Least Restrictive Environment
LRE requires, under 34 CFR §300.114, that students with disabilities be educated with nondisabled peers to the maximum extent appropriate, with removal from the regular classroom only when the nature or severity of the disability prevents satisfactory progress even with supplementary aids and services. Placement is a continuum, not a fixed setting, and must be individually determined.
Regulatory Citation
Example in Practice
A student with autism who can succeed in general education with a one-to-one paraprofessional, visual schedules, and push-in speech services must be placed in that setting rather than a self-contained classroom (Oberti v. Bd. of Education of Clementon Sch. Dist., 995 F.2d 1204 (3d Cir. 1993)).
Key Research Citations
- ·Kurth, Morningstar & Kozleski (2014, Research & Practice for Persons with Severe Disabilities 39(3):227-239) — LRE placement trends
Full bibliography available on the Research page.
This glossary entry is educational. It is not legal or clinical advice. Consult a qualified attorney or licensed clinician before making decisions that rely on this summary.